Teach Me to Think

7/29/2019 Teach Me to Think

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Teach Me to Think:Developing Student Thinking Skills,

Its what sets us apart.

The State University of New York at Cortland, New York

(SUNY Cortland)

Dr. Orvil L. White
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dthinking%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fr%3Dsbcfp-imp%26b%3D1&w=460&h=480&imgurl=ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu%2F211.fall2000.web.projects%2FTara%2520Sarvela%2Feinstein%2520thinking.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fffden-2.phys.uaf.edu%2F211.fall2000.web.projects%2FTara%2520Sarvela&size=41.3kB&name=einstein+thinking.jpg&p=thinking&type=jpeg&no=5&tt=1,157,193&oid=d71bad8ce97447a4&ei=UTF-8


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Introduction What is Critical Thinking?

Why we need Critical thinking students. Critical Thinkers & Critical Thinking

Using Critical Thinking

The Goals of Critical Thinking

Developing Problems

Solving problems

Practice

Questions for Assessment


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What is Critical Thinking?

Focused thinking

Thinking with a definite purpose (goal)

Can be a complex & involved process

An active process that involves constantquestioning


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Why we need

Critical Thinking students The significant problems we face

cannot be solved at the same level of

thinking we were at when we createdthem.

An Albert Einstein Quote on Creativity


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Critical Thinkers & Critical Thinking

Critical thinkers: distinguish between fact and opinion; askquestions;makedetailed observations; uncoverassumptions and define their terms;and make assertions based on sound logic and solid evidence.

Ellis, D. (1997) Becoming a Master Student.

Critical thinking is best understood as the ability of thinkers to take chargeof their own thinking. This requires that theydevelop sound criteria andstandards for analyzing and assessing their own thinking and routinely

use those criteria and standards to improve its quality.

Elder, L. and Paul, R. (1994, Fall) "Critical thinking: why we must transform our

teaching." Journal of Developmental Education.


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How far have we come? One of the largest and most neglected

responsibilities in school is to develop in each child

the ability to think well. Materials used in schoolsmust be worthwhile, but their main function is tofurnish the means for practice in thinking.

Critical thinking is most sorely needed in the world

today.

Lee, J.M. and Lee, D.M. (Eds.) (1950) Guiding life in the school: The childand his curriculum. (2 Ed.) New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts,Inc.

(1st Edition 1936)


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Critical reflection of our courses indicates that many of usare victims of the traditional approach to the teaching of

exact sciences.

Our sequence of presentation of subject matter, as outlinedin current secondary school texts, follow an order ofpresentation that has been in modefor at least twenty

years

A fair criticism of our present courses is that they are toonearly limited to a giving backby students of

information which we, or our textbook writers, deemessential.

Many times we fail to distinguish between learning and

memorizing.

David Aptekar, Mackensie High School, Detroit, 1945


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When, Where, and How is Critical

Thinking Used?

Everyday & Everywhere

Academics, professionals, scientists, teachers , &students, and everyone who makes choices

Decision making, solving problems &puzzles, making connections, understandingissues, evaluating evidence and discoveringnew information


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What are the Goals of Critical

Thinking? Finding Meaning

Seeking Logic Searching for reason

Looking answers

Developing facts and opinions

Appreciating different points of view


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What Challenges Will I

(and my students) Face? Keeping and open mind

Being objective Keeping yourself subjective

Avoiding looking for the easy answer

Having sound, verifiable evidence

Using different perspectives (even if youdisagree with them)


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What Challenges Will I

(and my students) Face? (continued)

Admitting there may be more than oneright answer

Asking yourself Am I willing to change mymind?

Knowing this can be a time consuming

process

Understanding that in the process there willbe new challenges


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How Can I develop my Critical

Thinking Skills? Think about your thinking

Think about why you make your choices

and decisions Think about why the world is the way it is

Practice every day!

Word problems Math problems

Puzzles

Games of strategy


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Developing Problems Start with basic, ordinary problems and then

add additional requirements.

Good critical thinking problems should crosscontent areas and require the student torecall information from other curriculumareas. Math & Logic

Science (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, etc.)

Geography

History

Connect to students everyday lives (to a social context)


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Problem solving set-up.If Tepporn has three times as many apples as Sumalee and Sumalee hasone/forth as many as Kemmawadee, who has four, how many apples doesKanchulee have if she has two more than Tepporn?

Kanchulee = Tepporn +2

Tepporn = 3 Sumalee

Sumalee = Kemmawadee

4

Kemmawadee = 4

Kanchulee = (3 x 4 ) + 2

4

Kanchulee = 5


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Give them a way to solve

problems that works For any problem list:

What you know

What you need tofind (usually a single answer)

What tools you haveto help solve the

problem What else do I need

to find out to solvethe problem?

What doI Know?

Whatmust IFind?

WhatTools doI have?

What elsedo I need

to find

out? *

1 1 1 1

2 2 2

3 3 3

* Where do I need to go to find thisinformation if I dont remember it?

Always Draw a picture


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Trains A train leaves New York City, NY

and is traveling to San Diego, Ca.

Another train leaves San Diego, Ca

and is traveling to New York City,NY.

How long before they meet?

What time is it when theymeet?


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US Trains


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What do I need to know? What is the

distance?

How fast are thetrains traveling?

What time did theyleave?

Distance

4517.1 m (2806.8 miles)

Speed

160 Km ph (100 mph) Departs at

10:00 Oclock local time


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U. S. time zones

San Diego train travels 12+ hours

New York train travels 15+ hours

There are 4 different time zones in the U.S.

They meet at ~12:0 pm inDodge City Kansas


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Problems with an Undefined Answer The solution to some problems are

influenced by many factors

Background, experience, and education

The social context

Subjectivity of the problem solver

The personal beliefs, values, assumptions, andpreferences of the problem solver


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What Do You Think?


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Problems with No Real Answer Some critical thinking problems need not

have a set solution.

In this case the way a problem is solved inthe important factor.

Each student may come up with a differentway to solve the problem and a differentanswer.

The solution must be possible and the answermust be plausible.


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How many.? How many 5 Baht

coins, stacked flat,

will it take to reachthe top of theEmpire StateBuilding in New York

City?


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What do I need to know? How tall is the

building?

How thick is a 5Baht coin? How many 5 Baht

coins in an: cm?

Meter?

inch?

Foot?

Height

Antenna/Spire

449 m (1,472 ft)

Roof381 m (1,250 ft)

Technical Details Floor count 102

1 floor = ~ 3 m (10 ft)

_5__ 5 Baht coins = 1 cm_~13__ 5 Baht coins = 1 inch


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Consider the Spherical Cow

How many pair ofshoes can you make

from a sphericalcow?


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What do I need to know? How big is the cow?

How much leather isneeded for a pair ofshoes?

The spherical cow has aradius of 1 meter.

One shoe can be madefrom a piece of leatherthat is 40 cm x 60 cm.

Surface = 4pr2

(S = 4pr2)


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We all go round and round Standing on the equator how

fast are you traveling aroundthe earths axis?

Give answer to the question inmiles per hour and Kilometersper hour

Standing one meter from theNorth Pole how fast are you

traveling around the earthsaxis? Give answer in Kilometers per

hour.

1042 mph / 1670 km ph 0.0026 km ph


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and the world goes round & round. How fast is the earth

traveling around the

sun. Give answers in;

miles per hour

and

Kilometers per hour.


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1 AU = 9.3 x 107 miles / 1.5 x 108 km

1 Astronomical Unit (AU)

and the world goes round & round,but how fast is it going?

10616 mph / 5377 Km ph


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Which came first?

Which event tookplace first?

Last?

Students practice thisin the classroom inorder to understandwhat has happened in

the real world.


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Order ofEvents

Puzzles 1 5

In what order did theevents occur? Each block will be

numbered. Use thenumber 1 for theoldest rock layer

Bonus:In puzzle #5 The

earthquake occurredbetween numbers______ & ________?6 7


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The relationships of the parts are

important to problem solving

100 212

0 32

180100

OC OF

180 : 100

18 : 10

1.8 : 1

Bonus: At what temperature arethey the same?


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The relationships are

important to problem solving180 : 100

18 : 10

1.8 : 1

(OC x 1.8) + 32 = OF

(OC x 2) 10% + 32 = OF

[( OF 32) + 10%]_____________________________________

2 = OC

(

O

F x - 32)_______________________________________________________

1.8 = OC


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The Questions We Ask

How do thequestions we askaffect the answer

we get?

Avoid: Yes or No questions

Double questions

Personal questions

Use: What..

When.

How.

Please. Defend

Expand

Elaborate

Rephrase

Explain another viewpoint


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What Questions Promote

Critical Thinking? Socratic Questions

1 Ask for clarification

2 Probe assumptions 3 Probe reasons & evidence

4 About views & perspectives

5 Probe implications &

consequences

6 Questions about thequestions

Four Types of Questions

1 Summary & definition

2 Analysis questions 3 Hypothesis questions

4 Evaluation questions


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The Jeopardy Approach:

Is an answer the answer? Normal assessments

Multiple choice

True / False

Fill in the blank

Can we give students an answer and have

them ask the question?Yes!

The Jeopardy approach can be applied to all

curriculum areas.
http://www.earthlife.net/images/eury-cell.gif


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Biology If the answer is the cell

what are the questions?

If the answer is waterpollution what are thequestions?

If the answer is habitatwhat are the questions?
http://www.earthlife.net/images/eury-cell.gif


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Earth science If the answer is Plate

tectonics what are the

questions?

If the answer is the solarsystem what are thequestions?

If the answer is volcanoes

what are the questions?
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/earth/Continents.shtml


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Physical Science (physics)

If the answer isfriction what arethe questions?


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Chemistry If the answer is ionic and covalent

bonding what are the questions?


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The social aspects Some activities need a team of people to be

accomplished.

What types of activities are these (examples)? What makes a good team?

What makes a good team member?

How is the body like a team?

How is a machine like a team?

What other things are like a team? List allyou can think of, share them with your

partner.


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Suggestions for your students Start each day (class) with a thinking problem.

Allow students to challenge each other with

problems. Use problems that require logical thinking

Logic problems

Logic puzzles

Lateral logic problems

Requires the most abstract thought


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Logic ProblemsTRUE STATEMENTS:

A. The number of false statements

here is one.B. The number of false statements

here is two.

C. The number of false statements

here is three.

D. The number of false statementshere is four.

Which of the above statements is

true?

1. THREE BOXES:

There are three boxes, one contains only

apples, one contains only oranges, and

one contains both apples and oranges.

2. The boxes have been incorrectly labeled

such that no label identifies the actual

contents of the box it labels.

3. Opening just one box, and withoutlooking in the box, you take out one

piece of fruit. By looking at the fruit, how

can you immediately label all of the

boxes correctly.

Which box did you open and how can

you be sure to label all boxes correctly?
http://www.sciencecartoonsplus.com/galmath2.htm


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Logic ProblemsTRUE STATEMENTS:

Option "C" is the answer: three

statements are false.

Since each statement concludes thatthere is a different number of

false statements, that proves that

only one statement can be

correct (hence the object is to

decide which statement is true).

Given that one statement is true, by

definition, the other three must befalse!

THREE BOXES:

The box that must be opened is the onelabeled "apples and oranges." Bydefinition, whichever fruit is inside,is the only fruit type that that box

contains.Let's say that you found an apple in that

box that was labeled with bothapples and oranges; because youknow it must therefore only containapples, then you conclude that thebox that is labeled "oranges"

cannot contain only oranges, as allboxes have been said to bemislabeled.

Thus, the box labeled "oranges" mustcontain both apples and oranges,leaving the box labeled "apples" tocontain only oranges.


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Which switch is which? Only one switch works, Which one?

You may only turn on one switch at atime.

You may only turn each switch on onetime.

You may only leave the switch buildingone time to check on the lights (the doorlocks behind you).

There are no windows andyou have no helpers.

How do you tell which switch works?

There is more than one answer

Lights

A B C

Switches

A B C

Door

Door


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Logic Puzzles1.CIRCLES:

Using six contiguous straight lines,

connect all of the sixteen circles

shown below.

1.

2. TEAPOTS:

If teapot A holds 32 ounces of tea,

about how many ounces does

teapot B hold?

1.


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Logic Puzzles1.CIRCLES:

Using six contiguous straight lines,

connect all of the sixteen circles

shown below.

1.

2. TEAPOTS:16 ounces (about half of pot A). The amount of tea that can

Be kept within each pot is determined by the height of the

spout opening. The tea level cannot rise above the spout

opening since any extra tea would merely spill out from the

spout. A simple visual estimate would conclude that thespout of teapot B is approximately half the height of that

of teapot A, therefore providing only half of the capacity,

or 16 ounces.

1.

CIRCLES:


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Area of an Odd Shape Find:

The area of thered shapedtriangle

Area of the squareArea of the circle / 4


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Blocks How many blocks

are in the picture?

Ask:What is the best way to

solve this problem?

What is the basic size

block?

Is there only one answer?


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Blocks How many blocks

are in the picture?

What is the best way to solve thisproblem?

What is the basic size block?

Ask:

Is there only one answer?

1 @ 8x8

8 @ 1x1

18 @ 2x2

9 @ 4x4

+ 4 @ 6x6

40 blocks


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Think Tube

Whats going on inside?


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Lateral Logic ProblemsAVOIDING THE TRAIN:

A man was walking along a

railway track when hespotted an express trainspeeding towards him.

To avoid it, he jumped off thetrack, but before he jumpedhe ran ten feet towards thetrain.

Why?

THE LOCKED ROOM:

A man is dead in a

puddle of blood and

water on the floor of

a locked windowless

room.

What happened?


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Lateral Logic ProblemsTHE LOCKED ROOM:

The man committed

suicide with an

icicle.

AVOIDING THE TRAIN:

The man was walking through

a train tunnel(or on a bridge)and was almost at the endwhen he heard a whistleand spotted the traincoming towards him.

He therefore had to moveforward, towards the train,so that he could jumpclear safely.


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And now, Just for fun

Sometimes we need to

teach with humor andgive our students achance to have some fun


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? -ectomy

Removing an appendix is

called an appendectomy,

removing tonsils is called

a tonsillectomy. What is it called when

they remove a growth

from your head?

Answer A haircut
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9gnMiXnN2lGuk0BxDijzbkF/SIG=16j3g0asv/EXP=1181387111/**http%3A//www.tropicalisland.de/india/rajasthan/karauli/images/JAI%2520Karauli%2520in%2520Rajasthan%2520-%2520boys%2520having%2520a%2520haircut%2520in%2520a%2520barber%2520shop%25203008x2000.jpg


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Word PuzzlesGerman

EnglishFrench

Spanish

English as asecond language


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Need Your Help!

"Welcome back to the show. Before the break, Mr Ixolite heremade it to our grand finale! How do you feel Mr.Ix?""Nervous."

"Okay, now to win the star prize of five million Baht all you haveto do is answer the following question in 90 seconds.""Okay, I'm ready.""Right. In 90 seconds name 100 words that do NOT contain theletter A.

Start the clock!"

Hint: Mr. Ix says hes counting on you for help.

Answer: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, .

.... One Hundred!


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Dr. Whites Trip to Thailand

The weather during Dr. White strip to Thailand was normal.

It rained on 15 different days,

but it never rained for a wholeday.

Rainy mornings were followedby clear afternoons.

Rainy afternoons were precededby clear mornings.

There were 12 clear morningsand 13 clear afternoons in all.

How long was the trip?
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0Je5x5SBFZGKPkA8VajzbkF/SIG=12nhr6j39/EXP=1180128722/**http%3A//img78.photobucket.com/albums/v255/foxracrusa/summerstorm.jpghttp://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0Je5mURA1ZGoDUBFkWjzbkF/SIG=15od620ab/EXP=1180128401/**http%3A//www.guidetothailand.com/pattaya-thailand/Pattaya%2520Beach%2520Travel,%2520Jomtien%2520Beach,%2520Pattaya%2520Hotels,%2520Jomtien%2520Hotels_files/beach1.jpghttp://www.sciencecartoonsplus.com/galmath2.htm


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Dr. Whites Trip

Hint:

1) One whole daycan be clear!

Answer:

5 totally clear days and 15 halfand half.In the 15 half and half days:

7


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How and what our students learn is areflection of how and what we teach!


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* Earth Facts I Need to Know Average Distance from the SunMetric: 149,597,890 km

English: 92,955,820 miles Scientific Notation: 1.4959789 x 108 km

(1.000 A.U.)

Perihelion (closest)Metric: 147,100,000 km

English: 91,400,000 miles Scientific Notation: 1.471 x 108 km (0.983

A.U.)

Aphelion (farthest)Metric: 152,100,000 km

English: 94,500,000 miles Scientific Notation: 1.521 x 108 km (1.017

A.U.) Equatorial RadiusMetric: 6,378.14 km

English: 3,963.19 miles Scientific Notation: 6.37814 x 103 km

Equatorial CircumferenceMetric: 40,075 km

English: 24,901 miles Scientific Notation: 4.0075 x 104 km


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I should know this AREA FORMULAS

CIRCLE: pr2 (p=constant=3.142(approx), and r = radius)RECTANGLE: ab (a = width and b = height of rectangle)

SQUARE: a2 (a = width = height of square, all sides equal)

TRIANGLE: 1/2(bh) (b = base width and h = height of triangle)

SURFACE AREA

CYLINDER: 2pr2

+ rh) (p=constant=3.142(approx), r = radius, h = height)CUBE: 6a2 (a=length of each side of the cube)

RECTANGULAR PRISM: 2(ab + ac + bc) (a, b, and c are the lengths of the 3sides)SPHERE: 4pr2 (p=constant=3.142(approx), and r = radius)

VOLUME FORMULAS

CUBE: a3 (a = length = width = height of square, all sides equal)

CONE: 1/3pr2h (p=constant=3.142(approx), r = radius, h = height)CYLINDER: pr2h (p=constant=3.142(approx), r = radius, h = height)PYRAMID: 1/3(bh) (b = base width and h = heght of pyramid)

RECTANGULAR PRISM: abc (a = length, b = width and c = height of rectangularprism )

PERIMETER

CIRCLE: pd or 2pr (p=constant=3.142(approx), d = diameter and r = radius)SQUARE: 4a or a + a + a +a (a = length of each side of square )

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Teach Me to Think